The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 71, July 1967 - April, 1968 Page: 606
686 p. : ill. (some col.), maps, ports. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Southwestern Historical Quarterly
Colonel" Manuel Maria de Salcedo, the youngest governor Texas has
had, took over the government of the province.
Immediately he began studying the province and making plans for
its development and security. While passing through the United States,
he actively collected all information possible, not only about the
character of its people, but also about their activities and intentions.
He talked not only with those friendly to Spain, like the governor
of Kentucky, but also with others with designs on New Spain. Among
the latter were some of the former partisans of Aaron Burr and mem-
bers of the Zebulon Pike expedition, who were planning at this time
another intrusion into Spanish territory."
Within three weeks after his assumption of the governorship he
had formulated a program for the development of Texas and sent it
for approval to his superior, his uncle, Nemesio de Salcedo, com-
mandant general of all the Interior Provinces (Provincias Internas), of
which the province of Texas was a part."' He continued through the
succeeding months to present additional proposals for the growth and
defense of Texas to his superiors in the Interior Provinces." Although
he found agreement in his immediate superior Bernardo Bonavia,"
his uncle consistently rejected almost all of his proposals.
It is not surprising, therefore, that he took advantage at the first
opportunity to report on the province under his care directly to the
acting government of Spain. This occasion arose in 1809 when active
and direct representation of the Americas in the Spanish government
was offered. This offer of representation in the national government
came as a result of the Napoleonic invasion of Spain. On January 22,
1809, the Supreme Central Governing Junta of the Kingdoms of Spain
and the Indies, in the name of Ferdinand VII, decreed that the vice-
royalties of New Spain, Peru, New Granada, and Buenos Aires; the
captaincy-generals of Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guatemala; and the provinces
of Venezuela and the Philippines should each elect a deputy to sit on
"The exact date of his promotion to lieutenant colonel has not been ascertained, but
it occurred prior to November, 1808. Ibid.
2"Manuel Maria de Salcedo to Nemesio de Salcedo, October 12, 18o8.
P2Manuel Maria de Salcedo to Nemesio de Salcedo, November 30, 18o8, Bexar Archives.
28Manuel Maria de Salcedo to Bernardo Bonavia, April 24, 18o9, and to Nemesio de
Salcedo, May 7, 1809, Bexar Archives.
2Minutes of the Junta de Guerra, June 19, 18o9, AGI, Guadalajara, 104-2-25; a copy
of the Minutes can be found in AGI transcript 61 (Archives, University of Texas Library,
Austin), 227-232.606
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 71, July 1967 - April, 1968, periodical, 1968; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth117145/m1/672/: accessed April 30, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.